Pneumatosis intestinalis is the presence of gas within the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. The gas forms bubbles containing nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide in most cases is intramural. Many factors are associated with this entity such as bacterial gas production (Clostridium difficile), increased intraluminal pressure (vomiting), mucosal injury (inflammatory bowel disease and immunosuppression), pulmonary gas (pulmonary obstruction and chronic cough) and combination of factors. The most frequent symptom is abdominal pain however physical examination is not very helpful in the diagnosis, the reason why computed tomography is the best imaging modality for this disease. The treatment depends in the underlying cause and is debated.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.